RAINS, POURS: Our old dog Vladi fell down the stairs last night and can barely walk. Vet this AM. Baby Michael is now sick. Too congested to sleep much. My cold is clearly turning yellow/brown/bacterial. CJ seems mildly better. Lower fever, and cough is more productive than wheeze-based.

Why be a parent? Because it gives you the most vivid sense of gratitude towards your own parents. What looked like a normal home during my childhood must've been an overlay on all manner of complexity I never knew.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.